2026 Annual Meeting
Thunder Bay, ON
May 21 & 22, 2026

Trips

Hotels

Sponsors

ILSG Student Research Fund

Goldich Medal Guidelines and Award Winners

Eisenbrey student awards

Student paper awards

ILSG main page

Links

Pre-meeting trips

Geological Highlights of the Thunder Bay Area, Part 1 (Pre-Meeting)

Trip Leaders: Mark Smyk (Lakehead University) and Mark Puumala (Geological Consultant)

Thunder Bay is located at the boundary between the Southern and Superior provinces of the Canadian Shield, making it an ideal location to obtain a geological overview of the Lake Superior region. This field trip will provide an opportunity for participants to view some of the “classic” outcrop exposures north and east of the City. The trip will include stops within the Neoarchean Shebandowan greenstone belt, the Paleoproterozoic Animikie Group (including the ca. 1850 Ma Sudbury impact layer), the Mesoproterozoic Sibley Group, and the Mesoproterozoic Midcontinent Rift.

[n.b. Although this is advertised as a 2-part field trip, participants may sign up for either one, or both. While they complement each other, there is no duplication of field trip stops.]

Geology of the Quetico Subprovince North of Thunder Bay

Trip Leaders: Riku Metsaranta (Ontario Geological Survey) and Gaetan Launay (Ontario Geological Survey)

This trip will provide an overview of the geology of the Neoarchean Quetico Subprovince north of Thunder Bay. This area is dominated by metasedimentary rocks, migmatites and granitic intrusions, but also hosts Mesoproterozoic Midcontinent Rift-related intrusions and structures. The trip will highlight some of the results of an ongoing Ontario Geological Survey bedrock mapping project, and will include information about the area’s economic mineral potential.

Gold Deposits of the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt

The Neoarchean Shebandowan greenstone belt has long been recognized as a favourable target area for gold exploration, based on its geological similarities to the famous Kirkland Lake gold district in northeastern Ontario. Recent exploration programs in this greenstone belt west of Thunder Bay have resulted in some exciting new discoveries, and a growing inventory of gold mineralization that will be highlighted during this trip.

Post-meeting trips

Geological Highlights of the Thunder Bay Area, Part 2

Trip Leaders: Mark Smyk (Lakehead University) and Mark Puumala (Geological Consultant)

This field trip will provide an opportunity for participants to view more of the “classic” outcrop exposures of the Thunder Bay area, this time focussing on the areas south and west of the City. Part 2 will build upon what is seen in Part 1 (i.e. more highlights of the Archean and Proterozoic geology), and also includes a stop that highlights the area’s Quaternary geology.

[n.b. Although this is advertised as a 2-part field trip, participants may sign up for either one, or both. While they complement each other, there is no duplication of field trip stops.]

Structural Geology and Gold Mineralization of the Mine Centre Area

Trip Leader: K. Howard Poulsen (Geological Consultant)

This two-day, post-conference trip in the Mine Centre area will involve an overnight stay in Fort Frances, which is an approximately 3.5-hour drive west from Thunder Bay. The historical Mine Centre gold mining camp is located at the boundary between the Neoarchean volcano-plutonic Wabigoon Subprovince and the metasedimentary rock-dominated, Neoarchean Quetico Subprovince, with the Quetico Fault marking the subprovince boundary. This field trip will provide an overview of the geology of the Mine Centre area, with an emphasis on structural geology and its relationship to gold mineralization.

Amethyst Deposits of Thunder Bay

Trip Leaders: Mark O’Brien and Steve Kissin (Lakehead University)

Amethyst is an abundant, semi-precious gemstone in the Thunder Bay area. It was designated as Ontario’s official mineral emblem in 1975. Several mines currently produce amethyst northeast of the City. This trip will provide a geological overview of the area’s amethyst mineralization, and will include visits to operating mines developed on veins and vein breccias in Neoarchean granitic rocks and unconformably overlying Proterozoic sedimentary rocks.